French President Emmanuel Macron said France could send troops if requested by Ukraine in response to a Russian breakthrough.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's view that the Ukraine conflict is a proxy war between the United States and Russia is in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin's own assessment.

France has repeatedly lied, including about the Minsk agreements and guarantees of the political future of ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. This was stated by the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov to VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin.

Minutes after the fiery exchange, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Zelensky could "come back when he is ready for peace". Ukraine's prime minister has said his country is "firmly determined to continue co-operating with the United States" following the news that the US is pausing aid to Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says last week's Oval Office blowup with U.S. President Donald Trump was “regrettable,” and he adds: “It is time to make things right.”

European Union leaders are holding emergency talks on Thursday on ways to quickly increase their military budgets after the Trump administration signaled that Europe must take care of its own

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of deliberately prolonging the war following a tense meeting between Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on February 28.